ACCRA, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Twenty-one students at Ghana's prestigious Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) were awarded Chinese Ambassador Scholarships Thursday for their excellence in Chinese language studies in Kumasi, the second-largest city in the West African country.

The students received cash prizes ranging from 100 to 300 U.S. dollars at a ceremony in which the KNUST and the Chinese community in Ghana celebrated the first anniversary of the Confucius Institute at the KNUST.

Addressing the ceremony, Chinese Ambassador to Ghana Tong Defa said the scholarships were established to encourage Ghanaian students to better learn about the Chinese language and culture, injecting vigor into the cultural cooperation and longstanding friendship between the two countries.

"This year marks the 65th anniversary of China-Ghana diplomatic relations; I am sure it will bring more opportunities to Chinese learners in Ghana as the bilateral exchanges intensify," said Tong. "I hope the students will contribute more to the China-Ghana cooperation and Ghana's socioeconomic development."

In an interview with Xinhua Friday, Su Zibo, Chinese director of the KNUST Confucius Institute, said over the past year, the institute has admitted more than 1,300 local students at various levels and set up three teaching sites, playing an essential part in promoting Chinese language and culture in Ghana.

The institute has also been committed to combining the Chinese language program with automotive technology majors through cooperation with Hubei University of Automotive Technology, Su said, adding that they plan to introduce Chinese teachers with academic backgrounds in vehicle engineering in the new year.

The Confucius Institute at the KNUST was established in December 2023, becoming the third Confucius Institute in Ghana, following the confucius institutes at the University of Ghana and the University of Cape Coast. Enditem

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